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Bengaluru, 08 October 2024: Coca-Cola India has been awarded the coveted Mahatma Gandhi Award for Corporate Excellence in Corporate Social Responsibility for its remarkable contributions to social and environmental responsibility through initiatives in water stewardship, circular economy, and sustainable agriculture. The award was presented by Dr. Kiran Bedi, former IPS officer, at the India International Centre in New Delhi on the eve of Gandhi Jayanti, October 1st.

Commenting on the recognition, Rajesh Ayapilla, Senior Director-CSR and Sustainability, Coca-Cola India & Southwest Asia (INSWA), stated, “We are humbled to receive this award for Corporate Excellence in CSR. It reflects our continuous commitment to environmental stewardship and empowering communities to use sustainable practices in agriculture, waste management etc. This honour serves as a testament to the dedication of the entire team, our partners, and the meaningful impact we together strive to create.”

At the heart of the company’s sustainability initiatives are three key focus areas: Water Stewardship, Sustainable Packaging, and Sustainable Agriculture. The Company’s 2030 Water Security Strategy aims to replenish stressed water resources and enhance community water access. Through the Fruit Circular Economy initiative, specifically Project Unnati, the company uplifts lakhs of small and marginal farmers with sustainable agriculture practices across 13 states by helping farmers boost productivity and improving livelihoods. Meanwhile, the ‘World Without Waste’ strategy under the Company’s sustainable packaging efforts, promotes a circular economy through its strategic initiatives under Design, Collect, and Partner pillars.

National/Guntur, October 08th 2024: PMJ Jewels, South India’s most loved fine jewellery brand launched their new showroom in Guntur. This is a new addition in PMJ’s overall presence of 38+ stores across South India and USA and is part of the brand’s aggressive expansion plans. Smt. Galla Madhavi, MLA, Guntur inaugurated this new outlet along with Mr. Hyder Ali, Andhra Pradesh State Head, PMJ Jewels, Kandakuri Aravind Kumar, PMJ Jewels, Cluster Manager and Mahesh Krishna Chaitanya, PMJ Jewels Guntur Store Manager. The elite showroom was thronged by loyal customers of PMJ who added extravagance and excitement during the launch.

The store has been exclusively curated keeping in mind the assorted taste of the customers at Guntur and will have a wide display of designs across diamonds, gold, and precious stones. PMJ’s finest & never-seen-before designer jewellery range handcrafted creations along with region specific and wedding jewellery, lightweight creations which are apt for office, party and regular daily wear are going to be a part of their collection at the store. The store promises to offer a wide range of latest, finest and never seen before designer dazzling diamond bridal jewellery to all its customers.

Speaking at the inauguration of the store, Guntur MLA Smt. Galla Madhavi said, “We are extremely delighted to welcome such an elite jewellery store in our Guntur. Our hearty congratulations go to the entire team of PMJ Jewels. I believe PMJ Jewels stands out to give their customers an outstanding experience, and as a customer myself, I can vouch for this store attracting all jewellery lovers of Guntur.”

Mr. Hyder Ali, AP State Head – PMJ Jewels said, “Guntur is one of fastest growing cities in AP with a significant cultural and traditional legacy. We are happy to open our PMJ Jewels store at Guntur today and take immense pleasure in the hospitality and love jewellery lovers in the city have extended to us. Jewellery lovers in and around Guntur will love our latest designs at this new store and we promise a wonderful experience for all our customers who visit the showroom.

Kandakuri Aravind Kumar, PMJ Jewels, Cluster Manager and Mahesh Krishna Chaitanya, PMJ Jewels Guntur Store Manager expressing their joy said, “We welcome everyone to experience the personalised hospitality during the retail shopping experience that PMJ Jewels is known for. Our near store at Guntur will resonate the legacy PMJ Jewels has been carrying all these years across”.

The designs at PMJ Jewels epitomise the remarkable craftsmanship and skills of Indian goldsmiths. PMJ’s loyal customers who blessed the store with their presence during the auspicious occasion were elated checking and trying out new designs displayed during the inauguration.

“Our goal at SPELL-A-THON OLYMPIADS has always been to inspire a love for language and learning among students. The incredible participation and enthusiasm we witnessed this year reaffirms our commitment for fostering academic excellence and nurturing the next generation of spellers”, said MsJanakiVenkatramani, Founder & Director, SPELL-A-THON OLYMPIADS (MyCoolQ.com). She addressed Spell-a-Thon Olympiads Grand Finale 2023-24 today at Uttam Mancha.

SPELL-A-THON OLYMPIADS (MyCoolQ.com) hosted Spell-a-Thon Olympiads Grand Finale 2023-24 and celebrated the 11th Anniversary of the Open Competitions 2024. More than400 winners from more than 50 schools across the region were honoured for their achievements.

Theceremony was attended by the parents of the participants, heads of schools and coordinators from more than 40 institutions, marking an exciting day of recognition and celebration. The Spell-a-Thon Olympiads, known for its focus on language mastery, provided a platform for young learners to showcase their spelling and linguistic skills in a competitive and enriching environment.

More than 2,600 students from Kindergarten to Class XII participated in the Grand Finale of the competition, at Gokhale Memorial Girls’ School, Kolkata. The competitions included a series of fun, interactive and challenging spelling and language-based tasks that engaged the students and tested their vocabulary, comprehension and linguistic prowess. The event was a remarkable milestone for SPELL-A-THON OLYMPIADS, which is committed to fostering language skills and encouraging academic excellence among students. As part of its 11th Anniversary Open Competitions, SPELL-A-THON OLYMPIADS continues to inspire and nurture the next generation of young spellers.

SPELL-A-THON OLYMPIADS

SPELL-A-THON OLYMPIADS is a prestigious competition that promotes language proficiency and spelling mastery among students from KG to Class XII. With a decade-long legacy of encouraging young learners, the organization has become a trusted name in educational competitions, providing an engaging platform for students to hone their language skills and compete at a regional and national level.

[Mumbai, India] – In today’s digital age, managing and backing up data from smartphones and digital cameras has become a challenge. Many rely on external hard drives, which are vulnerable to viruses, while online file sharing is often inconvenient and frustrating. Worse, ransomware can cause irreversible data loss. Cloud storage options like Google Cloud offer convenience but come with recurring fees and data privacy concerns. As storage needs grow with high-resolution media, upgrading to larger terabyte-level storage plans can quickly become expensive.

You need a private cloud

If you’re looking for a solution that eliminates these concerns while offering the benefits of cloud storage without the escalating subscription costs, Synology provides the perfect choice—Network Attached Storage (NAS). With Synology NAS, you can securely store your cherished memories and enjoy remote access to your private cloud. You maintain full ownership of your data, supported by built-in applications for data protection, productivity, multimedia, and more.

Don’t miss out! The users favorite NAS: DS923+, is currently 20% off, offering the perfect opportunity to set up your personal data fortress. For entry-level users, Synology’s 2-bay compact NAS, DS224+, is also on sale at 20% off, along with Synology’s Plus series HDDs, renowned for ultra compatibility and performance stability. Let your data find a safe home this Diwali with our limited-time offer running from October 7th to November 3rd!

Mumbai: Sanofi Consumer Healthcare India Limited (“SCHIL”) (BSE: 544250, NSE: SANOFICONR) today announced its successful listing on BSE Limited (BSE) and the National Stock Exchange of India Limited (NSE). The milestone was marked with the ringing of the opening bell at BSE by Himanshu Bakshi, Managing Director, Sanofi Consumer Healthcare India Limited, signifying the listing of the company’s Equity Shares.

Ringing of the opening bell at BSE by Himanshu Bakshi, MD – Sanofi Consumer Healthcare India Limited, signifying the listing of the company’s Equity Shares.

Himanshu Bakshi, Managing Director, Sanofi Consumer Healthcare India Limited Commenting on this joyous occasion, he said, “India’s consumer healthcare market, has vast potential. SCHIL getting listed on BSE and NSE, marks a critical milestone for us; one that is further expected to strengthen our position and drive sustainable growth within the Indian market. By evaluating our business needs, capitalizing on emerging consumer trends in the healthcare space and encouraging a culture of digital innovations, we seek to address unmet consumer needs. For this, we aim to enhance our customer experience with our products.

Further, we remain committed to our mission, which is to make self-care as simple as it should be and empower our consumers to take control of their health. I am confident that our organisation’s consumer-first approach will drive our ambition to build the best ‘Fast Moving Consumer Healthcare’ (FMCH) organisation in and for the world.”

SCHIL has emerged as a distinct legal entity following its demerger from Sanofi India Limited. This demerger, executed under the Scheme of Arrangement, was sanctioned by the Mumbai bench of the National Company Law Tribunal and became effective on 1st June 2024. In alignment with Sanofi’s global strategy, SCHIL is now operating independently, with a dedicated focus on the Consumer Healthcare sector. SCHIL is committed to maintaining high standards of ethics, marketing practices, and business operations.

About Sanofi Consumer Healthcare India Limited (SCHIL): With an agile business model and strong brands, SCHIL is one of the leading players in India’s consumer healthcare market. Leveraging its global experience in consumer healthcare, Sanofi Consumer Healthcare India Limited (SCHIL) aims to enhance customer wellbeing through its portfolio of products which encompasses Allergy, Digestive Wellness, Pain Care, and Multivitamins and Herbal/Traditional Dietary Supplements. SCHIL’s key brands include Allegra®, DePURA®, Avil®, and Combiflam®. They are dedicated to building a healthier future for their customers by empowering people to take control of their health, through self-care and by addressing their everyday health concerns.

Hyderabad, October 08, 2024: Union Bank of India, one of the leading Public sector Banks of the country, celebrated Hindi Diwas in Y B Chavan auditorium, Nariman Point, Mumbai on 07th October 2024.

The ceremony was presided over by A. Manimekhalai, MD & CEO. Shri Sanjay Rudra, Executive Director, along with Chandra Mohan Minocha, Chief General Manager (HR) graced the occasion.

Speaking on this occasion, MD & CEO, A Manimekhalai, spoke about the innovative products and services offered by the bank and highlighted the importance of Hindi and local languages ​​in Customer Service. She also announced that the Bank has resolved to launch literacy campaign ‘Union Sakshar’ under CSR.

Special comic book titled “Jhatpat Loan”, Telugu, Bangla and Malayalam booklets under the Vyavaharit Bhasha Gyan Series and reference material prepared by Departments of Central Office were released during the programme.

Various Awards were presented to employees for their outstanding contribution in implementing Hindi language and to the winners of 9 Hindi competitions, which were organized during Hindi Fortnight.

This was followed by an entertaining Hasya kavi sammelan by well-known poets Rohit Sharma, Dinesh bawra, Dr. Rajnikant Mishra, Rakesh Tiwari and Priyesh Sinha. Staff members presented cultural program of song and dance performances.

BANGALORE, India, October 08, 2024—Whatfix, a pioneer in the “userization” of application technology, maximizing ROI on enterprise tech stacks, has announced its fourth liquidity program of USD58 million. The company facilitated liquidity for employees and investors at a premium to prior Series D round valuation. Eligible current and former employees have been given the opportunity to liquidate a portion of their vested units, recognizing their invaluable contributions. From time to time, the company has consistently facilitated secondary sales, ensuring that its employees and investors benefit directly from the company’s growth.

Khadim Batti, Whatfix CEO and co-founder said, “This program reflects our commitment to both business growth and recognizing those who have been integral to our success. We’re fostering a culture of ownership and innovation by offering employees and investors to share in our growth. Recently, our customer-first approach was recognized as Whatfix was named the only ‘Customer’s Choice’ in the 2024 Gartner Peer Insights DAP report. This program equally underscores our dedication to employees, reinforcing that our employee-centricity is second to none.”

Whatfix recently secured USD125 million in a Series E funding round led by Warburg Pincus with participation from existing investor SoftBank Vision Fund 2. The new round was raised at over 50% premium, reinforcing its dominance as a leader in digital adoption platform and fueling its expansion into DAP-adjacent offerings. Gartner, Forrester, IDC and Everest Group have all recognized Whatfix as a leader in the category in various DAP reports. The company has also been listed as the top DAP by Deloitte Technology Fast 500 for three consecutive years. Over 700 enterprises, including 80+ Fortune 500 companies such as Cisco, Arrow Electronics, Schneider Electric, Avnet, Genuine Parts Company, Becton Dickinson, Autozone, Aramark, and Kyndryl, along with 100+ technology, services, and consulting partners, trust Whatfix to accelerate the ROI on their tech investments and those of their customers.

Since 2021, Whatfix has launched four new products, showcasing the strong innovation DNA of the company. The company has been granted 5 patents by the US patent office with 18 more in the pipeline. Despite the macroeconomics and the headwinds in the last two to three years, Whatfix has distinguished itself by maintaining a low cash burn and sustaining growth rate. Whatfix also doubled its workforce to 960+ employees and opened four new offices in Singapore, Germany, Australia, and India since its Series D.

Ravindra Rai M. Appointed as Managing Director & CEO of BOBCARD LIMITED

New Delhi, 08 October 2024: BOBCARD LIMITED, a wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of Baroda, announces the appointment of Mr. Ravindra Rai M. to the position of Managing Director & CEO. Mr. Rai, who previously served as the Deputy Managing Director (DMD) of BOBCARD LIMITED, will now lead the company’s strategic initiatives aimed at solidifying its presence as a key player in the credit card industry.

Mr. Ravindra Rai brings with him nearly three decades of extensive experience in the Banking and Financial Services Industry. In his new role, Ravindra Rai will focus on driving business growth while strengthening the company’s risk management framework, enhance customer experience and curating innovative product portfolio that meets the evolving needs of the Indian consumer base—all in alignment with BOBCARD LIMITED’s motto of “Reimagining credit for India.”

Throughout his distinguished career, Mr. Rai has held various key roles, including General Manager at Bank of Baroda. In his previous role at the parent Bank, he excelled in areas such as Treasury, Credit, International Banking, and Banking Operations. Prior to joining BOBCARD LIMITED, Mr. Rai spent over 15 years at Vijaya Bank, where he managed rural and corporate banking branches, oversaw strategic regions, and contributed significantly at the bank’s corporate office and overseas operations in the Middle East.

Commenting on his appointment, Mr. Ravindra Rai, MD & CEO, BOBCARD LIMITED said, “I am delighted to assume the role of Managing Director & CEO at BOBCARD LIMITED. This opportunity is both a privilege and a responsibility, and I am eager to lead our team in our mission to provide outstanding value and service to our customers. With a strong focus on innovation and a commitment to product excellence, I look forward to building on our tradition of success and guiding BOBCARD LIMITED toward a future of continued growth and achievement.”

Mr. Rai’s academic background includes a degree in Economics, a Master’s in Public Relations, and an associate membership with the Indian Institute of Bankers. He is also a certified forex professional and has specialized knowledge in IT and Cyber Security for Senior Management.

In addition to his professional achievements, Mr. Rai is a passionate cricketer, having represented Mangalore University, Zone and Karnataka State, where he earned accolades for his outstanding performances in sports.

By Dr Hari Gopinath, Consultant Paediatrician, Ankura Hospital for Women and Children, Kompally

Vector-borne diseases (VBDs) pose a significant public health challenge in India, with millions affected annually. The primary vectors include mosquitoes, ticks, and sandflies, transmitting diseases such as malaria, dengue, chikungunya, and leishmaniosis (Kala Azar or Black Disease). Recent data from 2024 highlights the increasing incidence of these diseases, emphasizing the need for effective prevention and treatment strategies.

In 2024, India reported approximately 1.2 million cases of malaria, a 15% increase compared to the previous year. In Hyderabad alone, there were around 30,000 cases of dengue, marking a 20% rise. Additionally, chikungunya cases reached 15,000, while leishmaniasis affected around 5,000 individuals, predominantly in rural areas.

These figures indicate a worrying trend, exacerbated by urbanization, climate change, and inadequate sanitation. In Hyderabad, the monsoon season has led to increased vector populations, further elevating disease transmission risks.

Preventive measures are crucial in combating vector-borne diseases. Here are some recommended precautions:

Eliminate Breeding Sites: Regularly clean and remove stagnant water from containers, pots, and discarded tyres to prevent mosquito breeding.

Use Insect Repellents: Apply DEET-based repellents (safe above two months of age) on exposed skin, particularly during early morning and late evening when mosquitoes are most active.

Wear Protective Clothing: Don light-coloured, long-sleeved clothing to minimize skin exposure to mosquito bites.

Install Screens: Use window and door screens to keep insects out of living spaces.

Indoor Spraying: Utilize indoor residual spraying with approved insecticides to kill adult mosquitoes.

Community Awareness: Engage in community clean-up drives and awareness programs to educate others about preventive measures.

Treatment for vector-borne diseases varies based on the specific illness. Here are some common approaches:

Malaria: Antimalarial medications such as artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) are effective. Severe cases may require hospitalization and intravenous medication. The endemicity of malaria in our country is to be reiterated so as to make a timely diagnosis.

Dengue: There is no specific antiviral treatment for dengue. Supportive care, including hydration and pain relief with acetaminophen, is crucial. Hospitalization may be required for severe cases. It is important to have a basic awareness of the warning symptoms of dengue, so as to attend the health care facility in time and to avoid unnecessary phobia associated with the diagnosis of dengue.

Chikungunya: Treatment focuses on relieving symptoms through pain relievers and hydration. Most patients recover within a week, although some may experience prolonged joint pain.

Leishmaniasis: Treatment involves antiparasitic medications such as sodium stibogluconate or liposomal amphotericin B, depending on the disease form and severity.

Dr. Prabhu Aggarwal, Dean of BSM stated, “At BSM, our core mission is to cultivate industry-ready individuals, ensuring they are equipped to address the challenges of the business world. Our programme empowers students with the knowledge, agility, and holistic skills essential for navigating the complexities of the modern professional landscape. Keeping up with the enthusiasm and energy of the founding batch, we are set to welcome the next batch of future business leaders. Our aim at BSM is to cultivate well-rounded individuals, instilling industry-readiness skills and critical thinking”.